‘I have been through it’: Wakefield domestic abuse champion opens up on crusade to make women and girls safer

“It is a long time ago but the scars never leave you.”

For councillor Maureen Cummings, the emotions of being subjected to sexual abuse by her late father are still raw after more than half a century.

She explained: “The person you trust most in the world is the person that lets you down, and that is hard.”

Coun Cummings opened up about her experiences after being appointed Wakefield Council’s violence against women and girls (VAWG) champion.

The new role has been created as part of wide-range measures to reduce domestic violence across the district.

Coun Cummings said her “passion” for the role stems from the trauma she suffered growing up in Kettlethorpe in the late 60s and early 70s.

“We have come a long way since then. My father was the abuser in my household,” she said.

“Mum got kicked from pillar to post and I was sexually abused. But you were never allowed or able to talk about it at the time.

“I protected mum in some ways, because if I told her what was happening she would get beaten up for it.

“There was no support back then. The attitude was ‘oh, just get on with it.'”

It was not until decades later, in the mid 2000s, that she felt able to talk about being a victim through her work as a councillor.

Coun Cummings said: “By telling my story, other people can see that you can be strong and it isn’t your fault.

“And that the people that should be protecting you should be held to account.

“I never, ever told my story until I came onto this council. But I knew I had to in the end.

“You try and put it to the back of your head but it always comes back.

“You can’t put your hand on somebody and say ‘I know what you are feeling’ if you haven’t been through it.

“I have been through it. I know how people are feeling. I know how it affects them both physically and mentally and it should not be happening.

“And it certainly shouldn’t be happening to children.”

Coun Cummings was unanimously voted into the role after a motion was put forward at a full council meeting last month.

During the meeting, she referred to National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) figures which revealed reports of VAWG rose by 37% in the four-year period up to 2022/23.

Data for 2022 showed domestic abuse made up 18% of all recorded crime in England and Wales.

The council recorded more than 10,000 incidents of domestic abuse in the past year, with a recent report describing many involved as repeat offenders and victims.

“I always say, I am not unhappy that people are reporting domestic abuse, because people have now got confidence that we will do something about it.

“We are only as good as what we know. If people don’t come forward and tell us, then we won’t know.”

Coun Cummings also referenced some of the high profile attacks on women during her speech, including the 2021 murder of Sarah Everard and, closer to home, the death of Castleford mum Abi Fisher, in 2022.

Abi, a 29-year-old teacher, was beaten and strangled by her husband who then disposed of her body in woodland.

Coun Cumming said: “They are horrific, extreme and headline-grabbing cases.

“But it’s the less newsworthy victims that need our help. I could go on all day about domestic abuse and the statistics. But it is not always about the statistics.

“The first time it happens to somebody, rather than it escalating, we want to be able to step in and offer wraparound support to stop it happening again.”

Coun Cummings will be responsible for ensuring the council “takes appropriate steps” to achieve targets and “amplify the voice of survivors”.

She will also be required to report to the council’s corporate and resources overview and scrutiny committee within 12 months on action taken to fulfil the pledges.

Reflecting on her priorities over the next year, she said: “I’m on a bit of a fact finding mission at the moment.

“I’ve already organised a meeting with the probation service to see what happens inside prison prior to release for those offenders that have been jailed for sexual and violent abuse.”

She has also been working with the council’s recently-expanded domestic abuse services.

She added: “Want to pull together a task force from the domestic abuse service and the voluntary sector and anybody else who’s interested in working alongside me.

“We need to work together to ensure that for anyone who feels they are a victim, there is somewhere they can go to actually share their concerns.”

In December last year, the council agreed to boost its domestic abuse services.

Extra resources include providing counselling for children, more support for victims and a behaviour change programme for perpetrators.

The new services will operate alongside the authority’s existing domestic abuse response team.

The plans are expected to cost £1m a year, with a grant of £833,000 covering some of the costs.

The additional resources were also designed to reduce the caseloads of staff who dealt with 1,600 referrals in the past year.

Coun Cummings said: “Currently, our domestic abuse service is a 999 service, it’s an emergency service. We don’t have the funding to actually do the full wraparound care.

“We focus on the victim. Helping and supporting them. Rehousing them if necessary and making sure they are away from harm.

“But we haven’t got that wraparound with the perpetrator programmes because we haven’t got the funding.

“We have been heavily reliant on our voluntary sector.

“If we can stop the perpetrators then obviously we can stop the violence.”

“I will do whatever I can do try and stop somebody like Abi Fisher being killed in the way that she was killed.

“Let’s spread the damn word that it’s not right.

“Anybody who’s suffering, please, please contact us.”

*If you would like support and advice around domestic abuse contact the council’s helpline on 0800 915 1561.